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Jaire Alexander (CB, Louisville) was the Packers' pick at No. 18 overall in the 2018 NFL draft. Green Bay originally had the 14th pick and traded twice in the first round before drafting Alexander. Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers traded their first-round draft pick in 2017, but Kevin King (CB, Washington) was the first of two picks in the second round and 33rd pick overall. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wi

The Green Bay Packers traded their first-round draft pick in 2008, but Jordy Nelson (WR, Kansas State) was the first of three second-round draft picks for the Packers and the 36th pick overall. Jim Matthews/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis.

GREEN BAY – One way you could gauge the importance of general manager Brian Gutekunst’s first draft with the Green Bay Packers would be to compare the value of his picks vs. those of the Cleveland Browns.

Using one of the NFL’s draft trade value charts, the point value for Gutekunst’s 12 picks Thursday through Saturday is 2,001.9.

The number is high compared to most Packers drafts this century, but Cleveland’s point value of 6,333.8 for its nine selections dwarfs it completely.

By that measure, there would seem to be a lot more pressure on a Browns organization that has won one game in the last two season to get this draft right.

But while Gutekunst and Browns general manager John Dorsey are in their first seasons in charge of their respective organizations, the pressure really is on Gutekunst when you consider how much closer his franchise is to winning a Super Bowl.

Dorsey, who previously ran Kansas City’s draft, could hit on every single one of his picks — including the Nos. 1 and 4 selections — and might still be years away from competing for a championship.

Gutekunst has an established head coach, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a good stable of pass catchers, the prospect of a solid running game and stable offensive line and a new proven defensive coordinator. If he strikes gold in this draft, his franchise could be back in the running in the NFC after a disappointing 7-9 season.

Given it has been eight seasons since the Packers last won a Super Bowl, there really is a lot riding on Gutekunst’s first draft. Not only will this draft influence the 2018 season but it also could determine Gutekunst’s future.

“All your drafts are important, but it’s about establishing the direction you’re going to take,” said an NFL personnel executive who has served as a general manager. “First you look at the organization, the Green Bay Packers. They’re a stable franchise and you want to continue that.

“Then you have to go about it your way and trust the people you have around you to evaluate talent. It comes down to evaluation and listening. You’re the No. 1 person now and you have to sort through everything.”

Or as one former general manager said, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

Gutekunst’s models for success are the Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson years. Wolf hired Gutekunst as an area scout in 1999 and Thompson promoted him to college scouting director in 2012 and director of player personnel in 2016.

In the 20 years that Gutekunst has been in the personnel department, the Packers have had three losing seasons. He has never walked the halls of the storied franchise with a concern about the quarterback position.

Wolf and Thompson both took care of the latter in their first year as general manager. Wolf traded a first-round draft pick to Atlanta for Brett Favre prior to his first draft and Thompson selected Rodgers with the 24th pick in the 2005 draft.

Gutekunst could shock the world — much like Thompson did — and select one of four or five quarterbacks expected to be taken in the first round, potentially setting up the franchise for success beyond the Rodgers years and giving the team a fighting chance if Rodgers were to suffer another injury that sidelines him for half the season or more.

But Wolf and Thompson were rebuilding at the time they took over and even though Favre was only one year older than Rodgers (34) is now when Thompson selected his successor, there is an opportunity for Gutekunst to push the Packers over the top addressing current needs.

In making a big splash with their first drafts, Wolf and Thompson drew respect — maybe more inside the building than outside it — for being decisive and forward-thinking. It took a while for those picks to transform the organization, but the confidence in which they made the moves showed they were in charge.

“There’s a lot of pressure,” said the former NFL general manager. “It (the first draft) sets the roadmap moving forward. It sticks in people’s minds. The first one helps with people’s perception, both in the organization and around the league.

“You earn a lot of respect behind the scenes if you show you have the right mentality to handle it. You never know about someone until they get into the battle.”

In this case, it’s not just that Gutekunst has 12 selections, it’s that he has the 14th pick in the first round and six picks (14, 45, 76, 101, 133, 138) in the top 140. In 13 drafts, Thompson had six picks in the draft’s top 140 three times (’08, ’12 and ’16) and in two of those drafts he made major inroads in building a competitive roster.

In ’08, among his draft picks were Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and Josh Sitton. In ’12, among his picks were Nick Perry, Casey Hayward and Mike Daniels. His ’16 draft featured starters Kenny Clark and Blake Martinez and may wind up contributing more starters to the ’18 team.

SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz looks at the top five quarterbacks of the 2018 NFL Draft and the teams that would be the best fit for each.
USA TODAY Sports

The Packers have not picked as high as 14th since picking ninth in ’09. The number of quality picks Thompson had that year allowed him to move up from the second round into the first for a second bite at the apple. He came out of that round with nose tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Clay Matthews, who were instrumental in turning the defense into a championship unit.

Gutekunst has a chance to do the same thing with his picks, but he’s going to have to know the draft board as well as Thompson did.

“I think over the last two weeks now, you're starting to do more scenario-driven things, where, ‘OK, this is the capital we have and this is where the board is strong,’” Gutekunst said in a pre-draft news conference Monday. “’If we're able to move here, this gets us better options than if we stay where we're at.’

“So, we're going through all those things, we've been going through those things the last couple weeks. But you've got to get the first part right (the board) before you move into these kinds of scenarios.”

The former GM said the real test for Gutekunst will be when some of those scenarios pop up completely unanticipated or with minutes left on the clock. Phones will be ringing and calls will be made and it will be up to Gutekunst to sort through it all.

“It’s the unknown scenario,” the former GM said. “You get a trade offer and you’ve 30 seconds to make a decision. That’s where you show how well-prepared you are and whether it’s too big for you.”

A former associate of Gutekunst’s said Wolf's and Thompson’s first drafts loom large over the new general manager because of the quarterbacks they obtained. He said Gutekunst has the luxury of addressing quarterback in another draft, but the pressure to land a transformative defensive player like Raji or Matthews will weigh on him just as heavily.

As badly as Wolf needed a quarterback in ’92, Gutekunst could get a street named after him if he were to have a draft like the one the New Orleans Saints had last year, which produced offensive and defensive rookies of the year and multiple starters.

“This draft is important, but I find it hard to say that it will define Brian or make or break him,” the associate said. “They do need some help, though. Green Bay has their quarterback, but no one to get after the opponent’s quarterback.

“Brian is smart, humble and steady. As long as he trusts himself and keeps his circle tight, he will be fine.”

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From left, Green Bay Packers assistant coaches Ray Wietecha, Dave Hanner and Tom McCormick, personnel director Pat Peppler and assistant coaches Jerry Burns, Phil Bengtson and Bob Schnelker work in the draft room at Lambeau Field for the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers assistant coaches Ray Wietecha, Dave Hanner and Tom McCormick, personnel director Pat Peppler and assistant coaches Jerry Burns, Phil Bengtson and Bob Schnelker work in the draft room at Lambeau Field for the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers offensive line coach Ray Wietecha talks on the phone in the draft room at Lambeau Field for the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers personnel director Pat Peppler looks over a blackboard with dozens of prospects' names in the draft room at Lambeau Field during the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers assistant coaches Dave Hanner, Jerry Burns, Phil Bengtson and Bob Schnelker work in the draft room at Lambeau Field for the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers assistant coaches Dave Hanner, Jerry Burns, Phil Bengtson, Bob Schnelker and Tom McCormick work in the draft room at Lambeau Field for the first combined NFL-AFL draft on March 14, 1967. It was the first time the Packers had been able to work from Green Bay during the draft. Picks were phoned to New York. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers coach Phil Bengtson, left, oversees the team's draft in the draft room in late January 1970. One of the names on the board in the 4.1 group at center is that of USC quarterback Mike Holmgren. He became the Packers coach in 1992. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers receivers coach Bob Schnelker, personnel director Pat Peppler and coach Dan Devine work in the draft room at Lambeau Field on Jan. 28, 1971. The man at right is unidentified. Devine had been named coach two weeks earlier. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers receivers coach Bob Schnelker, personnel director Pat Peppler and coach Dan Devine work in the draft room at Lambeau Field on Jan. 28, 1971. The man at right is unidentified. Devine had been named coach two weeks earlier. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers coach Bart Starr looks over scouting reports in the team's draft room at Lambeau Field before the NFL draft in January 1975. He had just been named coach. File/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

From left, Green Bay Packers scouts Tom Tipps and John "Red" Cochran and personnel director Dick Corrick look over the draft board in the draft room at Lambeau Field on April 29, 1980, the first day of that year's draft. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers scouts Tom Tipps and John "Red" Cochran and personnel director Dick Corrick look over the draft board in the draft room at Lambeau Field on April 29, 1980, the first day of that year's draft. Press-Gazette Media archives

From left, Green Bay Packers scouts Tom Tipps and John "Red" Cochran and personnel director Dick Corrick talk in front of the draft board in the draft room at Lambeau Field on April 29, 1980, the first day of that year's draft. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers scouts Pete Kettela, left, and Tom Tipps take a break while working in the draft room at Lambeau Field on April 29, 1980, the first day of that year's draft. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers scouts Pete Kettela, left, and Tom Tipps take a break while working in the draft room at Lambeau Field on April 29, 1980, the first day of that year's draft. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers personnel director Dick Corrick, left, and coach Bart Starr pose for a photo in the draft room at Lambeau Field a few days before the NFL draft in April 1982. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers coaches and scouts gather in the screening room at Lambeau Field in April 1984, shortly before that year's draft. At left are coach Forrest Gregg and personnel director Dick Corrick. File/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Packers coach Mike Sherman, center, ponders his next pick during the second round of the NFL draft on April 26, 2003. Flanking him in the draft room at Lambeau Field are vice president of football operations, Mark Hatley, left, and director of college scouting, John Dorsey, right. Press-Gazette Media archives

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, right, director of college scouting John Dorsey, center, and coach Mike Sherman work in the Packers' draft room during the third round of the NFL draft on April 23, 2005, at Lambeau Field. File/AP

From left, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, team president Mark Murphy and general manager Ted Thompson talk inside the draft room during the NFL draft at Lambeau Field on April 22, 2010. File/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

From left, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson shares a laugh with team president and CEO Mark Murphy and coach Mike McCarthy in the draft room at Lambeau Field in April 2013. File/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

From left, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, president Mark Murphy, head coach Mike McCarthy and director of player personnel Eliot Wolf work inside the war room during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on Thursday, April 30, 2015. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media
Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

From left, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, president Mark Murphy and head coach Mike McCarthy visit with each other inside the war room during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on Thursday, April 30, 2015. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media
Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

In middle, Green Bay Packers director of player personnel Eliot Wolf talks on the phone inside the war room during the NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on Thursday, April 30, 2015. Also shown is Brian Gutekunst, director of college scouting. Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media Evan Siegle/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin